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20 Marvellous Facts about Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar is the official title of this great country, however, in the UK and USA it is more commonly known as Burma. This is because the UK and USA do not accept the change in name from Burma made in 1989.

Burma is a country rich in history and culture in South East Asia.

It shares a border with China to the north and north east, Laos and Thailand to the east and south east and Bangladesh and India to the west. It also has a coastline along the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal to the south.

As the largest country in mainland South East Asia, Burma has an area of 261,218 square miles (676,552 square kilometres).

Burma’s population was 55.8 million in 2014.

This country has a humungous capital city called Nay Pyi Taw(also known as Naypyidaw… somewhat fitting that a country with two names should have a capital with two names!); it covers an area of 2723.6 square miles (7054 square kilometres) yet has a population of just 924,608 (2009).

Apparently, Burmese locals never get their hair cut on a Monday, Friday or on their birthday because they believe it to be unlucky.

The terrain here is a mix of central lowlands surrounded by steep, rugged highlands.

If you fancy approaching by boat through the Bay of Bengal, the coordinates for Burma are 22.0000° N, 96.0000°

Burma enjoys a tropical monsoon climate with hot, cloudy and humid summers and mild, less humid less cloudy winters.

The average life expectancy here is 57 years.

To purchase a few pints of local beer, remember to exchange your money for Kyat (pronounced “chat”), the currency of Burma.

Burmese is the official language of Burma.

In Burma, it is commonplace for both men and women to use a yellow paste made from the bark of the Thanakha tree on their faces. It is used to both tighten the skin and prevent oiliness, but also as an effective sunblock!

When needing the attention of a waiter, locals use a kissing sound, much like you would to get the attention of a cat!

A favourite pastime of the Burmese is to chew Betel Quids. This is a green Betel leaf, about the size of the palm of your hand, filled with Areca nuts, spices, lime and tobacco, folded up into a little parcel. You can find street stalls throughout Burma selling these tasty snacks, although we wouldn’t recommend it as it can stain your teeth and has been linked to oral cancer!